With a New Orleans Saints Week 13 game scheduled against the Dallas Cowboys, the big question becomes how Sean Payton will find enough offense to win in yet another Thursday night game.
Here are some Saints-Cowboys predictions for New Orleans.
For more insight on the Saints' Week 13 matchup against the Cowboys, listen below:
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
New Orleans Saints Week 13 Predictions
4. New Orleans Saints QB Taysom Hill will have at least 35 percent of his total yards on the ground
The identity of Taysom Hill is that he is a dual-threat, multi-purpose, jack-of-all-trades quarterback. He can throw the ball well, but he is also not a traditional dropback passer who throws the ball 30 times a game from the shotgun or using a seven-step dropback. Taysom Hill is a football unicorn and an acquired taste; he doesn't play the game conventionally, and Sean Payton doesn't use him conventionally, either.
In this game against a motivated Dallas Cowboys defense, Hill won't hit many passes down the field. He will likely work the short flats and throw safe percentage passes. The Saints will try to use play action to their advantage, but they won't try to take huge risks, given that they will depend on their defense to win this game. Payton will be cautious with Hill and will tell him to not try to be a hero. Whatever Hill ends with in terms of total yardage, more than one-third of that number will come from rushing yards.
3. Taysom Hill will not gain more than 225 total yards
The Cowboys will make sure that Hill does not beat them with his legs. Hill is a more threatening runner than passer; if he was a more formidable downfield thrower, he would have been the starter in Week 1, or at the very least, he would have become the starter for the Saints after Jameis Winston went down with his injury earlier in the season.
There is a reason Taysom Hill has not started more games this season for the Saints. The Cowboys will know what to give, and what to take away, on defense. Regardless of the mixture between rushing yards and passing yards, Hill's overall total will be under 225 yards.
2. Saints defense allows just one touchdown
The Saints' best chance to win this game lies with their defense. One recalls a game a few years ago in which Drew Brees was unavailable. New Orleans won a low-scoring slugfest against the Cowboys with Teddy Bridgewater taking the snaps under center. These teams have played defense-oriented games when they have met in recent years. The New Orleans defense will do everything it can to win this game.
Given that the Saints just got their clock cleaned by the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, and in light of the muddled NFC playoff picture, the New Orleans defense will play with the desperation and urgency this moment requires. That will translate to a strong performance against Dak Prescott and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys' offense.
1. Dallas Cowboys will beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 13
While the Cowboys will struggle on offense, their defense will rise to the occasion and stifle Taysom Hill. One shouldn't be too sure of what to expect in this game. Taysom Hill won't be a dynamic quarterback over the course of a full NFL season, but he might surprise in an individual NFL game. Yet, the odds suggest that Hill — who has not gotten a lot of reps at quarterback in 2021 — will probably be rusty and ineffective for most of this contest, if not all.
The Cowboys will win this game with their defense.
Follow Us
Subscribe